Structure, bonding and electronic characteristics of amorphous Se.

Ovonic threshold switching (OTS) selectors can effectively improve the storage density and suppress the leakage current of advanced phase-change memory devices. As a prototypical OTS material, amorphous GeSe is widely investigated. But the attention paid to amorphous Se (i.e., the functional constituent in amorphous GeSe) has been very limited up to now. Here we have explored the structure, bonding and electronic characteristics of amorphous Se using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. The results reveal that the Se atoms in amorphous Se tend to form 2-coordinated configurations, and they connect with each other to form long chains. The fraction of the vibrational density of state located in the high frequency range is relatively large, and the formation energy of the Se-Se bond is as large as 4.44 eV, hinting that the Se-Se bonds in chains possess high stability. In addition, the mid-gap state related to the OTS behavior is also found in amorphous Se despite the small proportion. Our findings enrich the knowledge of amorphous Se, which aids the applications of Se-based OTS selectors.

Dose-response associations of maternal prenatal noise exposure duration with antepartum depression status.

BACKGROUND: Antepartum depression has been reported to be associated with the intensity of maternal prenatal noise exposure; however, the association between noise exposure duration and the development of antepartum depression has not been established. This study aimed to determine the total and trimester-specific association of prenatal noise exposure duration with the development of antepartum depression. METHODS: From May 2018 to June 2021, we recruited 2,166 pregnant women from Shengjing Hospital, northeast China. We used a standardized questionnaire to assess women's prenatal noise exposure and used the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale to assess pregnant women's antepartum depression during the 1st -, 2nd -, and 3rd - trimesters. We calculated a cumulative noise exposure score ranging from 0 to 3, with a higher score reflecting higher frequency and longer duration of noise exposure during pregnancy. RESULTS: Women who were exposed to noise for ≥ 15 min per day had an increased risk of antepartum depression compared with women who were not exposed to noise during pregnancy [odds ratio (OR) = 1.83, 95%CI:1.18, 2.83]. Noise exposure in a specific trimester was associated with higher risk of depression in the same trimester and subsequent trimesters. We observed increases in antepartum depression risk with increasing cumulative noise exposure scores (P for trend < 0.05 for all). Pregnant women with the highest scores had the highest risk of antepartum depression during the first (OR = 1.30, 95%CI:1.02, 1.65), second (OR = 1.75, 95%CI:1.23, 2.50) trimesters. Women with a cumulative noise exposure score of 2 had the highest risk of antepartum depression during the third trimester (OR = 1.79, 95%CI:1.14, 2.80), as well as during the whole pregnancy (OR = 1.94, 95%CI:1.14, 3.30). CONCLUSIONS: Maternal prenatal noise exposure duration was positively associated with antepartum depression risk in a dose-response manner. It is necessary to develop strategies by which pregnant women can avoid excessive exposure to noise to prevent antepartum depression.

Advances in microfluidic technology for sperm screening and in vitro fertilization.

About 18% of reproductive-age adults worldwide are affected by infertility. In vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) are widely used assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) aimed at improving clinical outcomes. Efficient and noninvasive selection and isolation of highly motile sperm with intact DNA are essential for the success of IVF and ICSI and can potentially impact the therapeutic efficacy and the health of the offspring. Compared to traditional methods, microfluidic technology offers significant advantages such as low sample consumption, high efficiency, minimal damage, high integration, similar microenvironment, and high automation, providing a new platform for ARTs. Here, we review the current situation of microfluidic technology in the field of sperm motility screening and evaluation and IVF research. First, we focus on the working principle, structural design, and screening results of sperm selection microfluidic platforms. We then highlight how the multiple steps of the IVF process can be facilitated and integrated into a microfluidic chip, including oocyte capture, sperm collection and isolation, sperm sorting, fertilization, and embryo culture. Ultimately, we summarize how microfluidics can complement and optimize current sperm sorting and IVF protocols, and challenges and possible solutions are discussed.

Individual and combined association between nutritional trace metals and the risk of preterm birth in a recurrent pregnancy loss cohort.

Background: Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) was associated with an elevated risk of pregnancy complications, particularly preterm birth (PTB). However, the risk factors associated with PTB in RPL remained unclear. Emerging evidence indicated that maternal exposure to metals played a crucial role in the development of PTB. The objective of our study was to investigate the individual and combined associations of nutritional trace metals (NTMs) during pregnancy with PTB in RPL. Methods: Using data from a recurrent pregnancy loss cohort (n = 459), propensity score matching (1:3) was performed to control for covariates. Multiple logistic regression and multiple linear regression were employed to identify the individual effects, while elastic-net regularization (ENET) and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) were used to examine the combined effects on PTB in RPL. Results: The logistic regression model found that maternal exposure to copper (Cu) (quantile 4 [Q4] vs. quantile 1 [Q1], odds ratio [OR]: 0.21, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.05, 0.74) and zinc (Zn) (Q4 vs. Q1, OR: 0.19, 95%CI: 0.04, 0.77) was inversely associated with total PTB risk. We further constructed environmental risk scores (ERSs) using principal components and interaction terms derived from the ENET model to predict PTB accurately (p < 0.001). In the BKMR model, we confirmed that Cu was the most significant component (PIP = 0.85). When other metals were fixed at the 25th and 50th percentiles, Cu was inversely associated with PTB. In addition, we demonstrated the non-linear relationships of Zn with PTB and the potential interaction between Cu and other metals, including Zn, Ca, and Fe. Conclusion: In conclusion, our study highlighted the significance of maternal exposure to NTMs in RPL and its association with PTB risk. Cu and Zn were inversely associated with PTB risk, with Cu identified as a crucial factor. Potential interactions between Cu and other metals (Zn, Ca, and Fe) further contributed to the understanding of PTB etiology in RPL. These findings suggest opportunities for personalized care and preventive interventions to optimize maternal and infant health outcomes.

Psychological changes among women with recurrent pregnancy loss during the COVID-19 period in northeastern China: a cross-sectional study.

Background: It aimed to investigate the prevalence of anxiety and depression in recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) women and the related factors in Northeastern China during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: From March to June 2021, we conducted an electronic questionnaire survey of 267 RPL women who attended the recurrent pregnancy loss clinic at Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS-C) were used to screen for anxiety, depression, stress, and social support. Logistic regression was used to explore the related factors of anxiety and depression. Results: RPL women had severe psychological problems during the pandemic: 56.6% showed state anxiety or trait anxiety, 26.6% showed high levels of stress, and 13.1% showed depression. Economic pressure caused by COVID-19, and high stress were common related factors for anxiety and depression. The interval since last miscarriage <6 months, worse mood changes due to COVID-19, and concerns about COVID-19 were associated with anxiety. A history of pregnancy loss >14 weeks was associated with depression. While adequate social support and actively seeking health help were protective factors for trait anxiety. And identifying the etiology was a protective factor for depression. Conclusion: The study revealed the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and the associated factors in RPL women during COVID-19. More attention should be paid to the psychology of RPL women and adequate social support should be provided.

Diagnostic workup of endocrine dysfunction in recurrent pregnancy loss: a cross-sectional study in Northeast China.

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of abnormal endocrine dysfunction for recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) amongst patients with two versus three or more pregnancy losses. Methods: This cross-sectional study retrospectively collected pre-pregnancy data of 537 women diagnosed with RPL in Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University from 2017 to 2022, including the baseline data of patients and the test results of endocrine factors. Several endocrine dysfunction included in this study were: thyroid dysfunction, obesity, hyperprolactinemia, polycystic ovary syndrome and blood glucose abnormality. Furthermore, vitamin D level were collected to study its relationship with endocrine dysfunction. Finally, we subdivided the patients according to the number of previous pregnancy loss and compared the prevalence of endocrine dysfunction between subgroups. Results: Among 537 RPL patients, 278 (51.8%) patients had abnormal endocrine test results. The highest incidence of endocrine dysfunction was thyroid dysfunction (24.39%, 131/537), followed by hyperprolactinemia (17.34%, 85/490), obesity (10.8%, 58/537), polycystic ovary syndrome (10.50%, 56/533), and abnormal blood glucose (5.29%, 27/510). Only 2.47%(13/527) of patients have vitamin D level that reach the standard. After subdividing the population according to the number of pregnancy loss, we did not find that the incidence of endocrine dysfunction (P=0.813), thyroid dysfunction (P=0.905), hyperprolactinemia (P=0.265), polycystic ovary syndrome (P=0.638), blood glucose abnormality (P=0.616) and vitamin D deficiency (P=0.908) were different among patients with two versus three or more pregnancy losses. However, obesity (P=0.003) was found more frequently observed in patients with more times of pregnancy loss. Conclusion: The prevalence of endocrine dysfunction in RPL population is high. There is no difference in the prevalence of endocrine dysfunction, except for obesity, among patients with two or more pregnancy losses, which may suggest investigations of endocrine dysfunction when patients have two pregnancy losses.

Structural, mechanical, electronic and optical properties of biphenylene hydrogenation: a first-principles study.

Biphenylene networks typically exhibit a metallic electronic nature, while hydrogenation can open the band gap changing it to a semiconductor. This property makes hydrogenated biphenylene a promising candidate for use in semiconductor optoelectronic materials and devices. In this work, three representative configurations of hydrogenated biphenylene, denoted by α, ß and γ, were investigated. The structural, mechanical, electronic, and optical properties of these hydrogenated biphenylene configurations were calculated by first-principles calculations. Band gaps with HSE correction were 4.69, 4.42 and 4.39 eV for α, ß, and γ configurations, respectively. Among these three configurations, ß presents the best electronic performance and special elastic properties (negative Poisson's ratio), while γ exhibits the best elastic properties. In addition, we comprehensively analyze the mechanical properties of these configurations and provide evidence that hydrogenated biphenylene possibly exhibits a negative-Poisson's-ratio along the zigzag and armchair directions when hydrogen atoms are added to biphenylene in certain ways. Furthermore, although the electronic properties of γ are weaker than those of ß, they are also excellent. In addition, the binding energies of ß and γ are relatively lower, which indicates that ß and γ are more stable. Our findings demonstrate that the hydrogenated biphenylene is a promising material with significant application potential in optoelectronic devices.

Trimester-specific associations of maternal dietary patterns with preterm birth: China Medical University birth cohort study.

The trimester-specific associations of maternal dietary patterns with preterm birth (PTB) are unclear. In a prospective prebirth cohort study, we aimed to examine the critical time window of maternal prenatal dietary patterns and the risk of PTB. We assessed prenatal dietary intake among 1500 pregnant women with validated food frequency questionnaires during the 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimester, respectively. We used logistic regression models and generalized estimating equation models to examine the trimester-specific associations and longitudinal associations between maternal dietary patterns in relation to risk of PTB and PTB subtypes. The incidence rate of PTB was 11.9% (179 out of 1500 pregnant women) in the present study. We observed that maternal adherence to a fish-seafood pattern in the 1st trimester was associated with higher risk of PTB [tertile 3 (T3) vs. tertile 1 (T1): OR = 2.29, 95% CI: 1.32-3.96] and iatrogenic preterm birth (IPTB) (T3 vs. T1: OR = 2.26, 95% CI: 1.21-4.20), while a fish-seafood pattern in the 2nd trimester was associated with lower risk of PTB (T3 vs. T1: OR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.25-0.93). Maternal adherence to a dairy-egg pattern in the 2nd or 3rd trimester was associated with higher risks of PTB and IPTB. No dietary patterns were associated with spontaneous preterm birth. Our findings provide new evidence that specific dietary patterns during different trimesters may have different and even inverse health effects on pregnant women. This supports the necessity of guiding the maternal diet according to different periods of pregnancy to prevent PTB.

The luminescence mechanism of ligand-induced interface states in silicon quantum dots.

Over decades of research on photoluminescence (PL) of silicon quantum dots (Si-QDs), extensive exploratory experiments have been conducted to find ways to improve the photoluminescence quantum yield. However, the complete physical picture of Si-QD luminescence is not yet clear and needs to be studied in depth. In this work, which considers the quantum size effect and surface effect, the optical properties of Si-QDs with different sizes and surface terminated ligands were calculated based on first principles calculations. The results show that there are significant differences in the emission wavelength and emission intensity of Si-QD interface states connected by different ligands, among which the emission of silicon-oxygen double bonds is the strongest. When the size of the Si-QD increases, the influence of the surface effect weakens, and only the silicon-oxygen double bonds still localize the charge near the ligand, maintaining a high-intensity luminescence. In addition, the presence of surface dangling bonds also affects luminescence. This study deepens the understanding of the photoluminescence mechanism of Si-QDs, and provides a direction for both future improvement of the photoluminescence quantum efficiency of silicon nanocrystals and for fabricating silicon-based photonic devices.

Biosensor-Enabled Discovery of CaERG6 Inhibitors and Their Antifungal Mode of Action against Candida albicans.

Fungal infections caused by opportunistic pathogens, such as Candida albicans, are generally underappreciated by the public in spite of their high mortality rates. Antifungal arsenals are extremely limited. Herein, based on biosynthetic pathway comparison and functional characterization, CaERG6, a crucial sterol 24-C-methyltransferase involved in the biosynthesis of ubiquitous ergosterol in C. albicans, was set up as an antifungal target. CaERG6 inhibitors were identified from the in-house small-molecule library by a biosensor-based high-throughput screening. The CaERG6 inhibitor NP256 (palustrisoic acid E) is a potential antifungal natural product that acts by inhibiting ergosterol biosynthesis, downregulating the gene expression level in hyphal formation, blocking biofilm formation, and disrupting morphological transition in C. albicans. NP256 enhances C. albicans susceptibility to some known antifungals significantly. The present study demonstrated the CaERG6 inhibitor NP256 as a potential class of antifungal compound for monotherapy or combinatory therapy.

The risk factors of progestational anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance in women with recurrent pregnancy loss: A cross-sectional study in China.

Background: The risk factors of progestational anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance in women with a history of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) remain controversial, additional study is needed to investigate the incidence and risk factors of progestational anxiety, depression, and sleep quality in RPL women. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 663 non-pregnant RPL women in Northeast China from October 2019 to July 2022. We assessed the state of anxiety, depression, and sleep quality before pregnancy using structured questionnaires, including sociodemographic characteristics, state-trait anxiety scale (STAI), center for epidemiological survey, depression scale (CES-D), Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), and symptom self-rating scale (SCL-90). Logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between sleep quality and anxiety, depression. Pearson's correlation was used to evaluate the correlation between anxiety and depression. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to find the risk factors of depression symptoms. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to evaluate the predictive value of the model. Results: The incidence of state anxiety, trait anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance in RPL women were 60.3, 51.7, 33.9, and 31.2%, respectively. The level of anxiety and depression in RPL women varied at different stages of treatment. In a longitudinal study (25 pairs), we found the level of state anxiety and trait anxiety were significantly lower after the cause was identified. Sleep disturbance is positively correlated with anxiety and depression. Logistic regression showed that the number of miscarriages ≥4 (Odds ratio (OR) = 2.268, 95%CI 1.300-3.956), Low household family income (OR = 1.613, 95%CI 1.036-2.513/OR = 2.361, 95%CI 1.095-5.092), interval since last miscarriage <6 months (OR = 2.154, 95%CI 1.246-3.726) and sleep disturbance (OR = 5.523, 95%CI 3.542-8.614) were associated with the occurrence of depressive symptoms. At the same time, anxiety can be used as a predictor of depression. Conclusion: Recurrent pregnancy loss women have a certain degree of anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance. Education level, interval since the last miscarriage <6 months, and sleep disturbance are risk factors for anxiety and depression. A history of pregnancy loss after 14 weeks and no living birth are also closely related to anxiety. Therefore, it is necessary to pay close attention to the psychological state of RPL women and provide appropriate psychosocial support to reduce the occurrence of negative emotions.

Clinical phenotype, treatment strategy and pregnancy outcome of non-criteria obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome.

PROBLEM: To illustrate the clinical features, treatment strategy, and pregnancy outcome of patients with obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome (OAPS), non-criteria obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome (NC-OAPS) METHOD OF STUDY: A single-center nested case-control study was designed. Patients with a diagnosis of OAPS and NC-OAPS were enrolled. The medical history, coagulation status, and antibody profile data were collected. Patients were given standard anticoagulation therapy with or without glucocorticoids (GC) and/or hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) during pregnancy and were observed for their pregnancy outcome. RESULTS: A total of 47 patients with OAPS and 120 patients with NC-OAPS were finally included, of whom 55 patients met the clinical criteria (subgroup C) and 65 met the laboratory criteria (subgroup L). Pregnancy morbidity showed significant differences: gravida, pregnancy loss in OAPS versus NC-OAPS. The coagulation function was not significantly different between OAPS and NC-OAPS groups, while TT and FIB were significantly higher in the subgroup C. Thromboelastography (TEG) results showed a significantly lower ANGEL in the NC-OAPS group, a higher ANGEL and lower EPL, LY30 in the subgroup L. No differences between groups were observed in treatment strategy. The pregnancy outcomes were not significantly different between NC-OAPS and OAPS groups. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical and laboratory differences were found between OAPS and NC-OAPS groups in this study. Patients in different subgroups of NC-OAPS could be identified with different clinical phenotypes. A relatively hypercoagulable status existed in the OAPS group compared to NC-OAPS, and also in the subgroup L.

The predictive value of NKG2C+NK cells and LILRB1+NK cells in recurrent spontaneous abortion.

PROBLEM: The maternal-fetal immune abnormalities can result in recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA). The role of NKG2C+ and LILRB1+ pNK subsets in predicting pregnancy loss is uncertain. METHOD OF STUDY: In this study, we aimed to compare the percentage of CD3- CD56+ NK cells, NKG2C+ NK cells, and LILRB1+ NK cells in peripheral blood between healthy pregnant women (HC group), RSA women followed by normal pregnancy (RSA-N group) and RSA women followed by abortion (RSA-A group) in the first trimester via flow cytometry, and explore the prediction value of NKG2C+ and LILRB1+ NK cells for pregnancy loss in RSA via ROC curve. The MFI of NKG2C and LILRB1 of dNK were compared between and HC and RSA-A groups. RESULTS: The percentage of CD3-CD56+ pNK cells between HC, RSA-N, and RSA-A groups shows no significant difference. In peripheral blood, the percentage of NKG2C+ NK cells were significantly increased in the RSA-A group than HC group and RSA-N group, and the percentage of LILRB1+ NK cell were significantly decreased in the RSA-A group. The MFI of NKG2C and LILRB1 of dNK showed a similar trend with peripheral blood between HC and RSA-A groups. The NKG2C+ and LILRB1+ NK cells were an independent risk factor for predicting pregnancy loss in RSA patients, with an area under the ROC curves (AUC) of .77 and .71 respectively. CONCLUSION: Women with recurrent spontaneous abortion have abnormal NKG2C+ and LILRB1+ pNK subsets, which could reflect immune abnormalities at the maternal-fetal interface, and NKG2C+ and LILRB1+ pNK subsets could be a good indicator for the prediction of pregnancy loss.

Trimester-specific association of perceived indoor air quality with antenatal depression: China Medical University Birth Cohort Study.

Antenatal depression is associated with adverse birth and long-term outcomes for mothers and children. Pregnant women spend 90% of time indoors; however, the association between indoor air quality and risk of antenatal depression has not been established. In this study, we aim to determine the total and trimester-specific association of perceived indoor air quality (PIAQ) with antenatal depression. A total of 2166 pregnant women were enrolled during the first trimester and evaluated during the second and third trimesters in the China Medical University Birth Cohort Study, a prospective pre-birth cohort study in northeastern China. PIAQ scores were obtained during each of three trimesters, which a higher score indicated a worse indoor air quality. Antenatal depression was screened using an Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and defined as an EPDS score ≥ 9. Prevalence of antenatal depression was 26.7%, 20.6%, and 20.9% during the first, second, and third trimesters, respectively. A higher PIAQ score was positively associated with a depression score throughout pregnancy (ß = 0.27, 95% CI = 0.15-0.39). Trimester-specific adverse PIAQ exposure was associated with a higher depression score in the same trimester, but not with a higher score in a subsequent trimester. A dose-response pattern and incremental increases in risk of depression were observed with calculated adverse PIAQ exposures across all three trimesters, with the highest risk (OR = 3.24; 95% CI = 2.28-4.78) among women with adverse PIAQ across all three trimesters. The hazardous association between adverse PIAQ exposure and risk of depression were less pronounced among women with higher physical activity levels (P for interaction < 0.001). The results of present study provided important evidence that pregnant women's mental health was linked to indoor air quality during pregnancy. These findings could be helpful in the development of guidelines to prevent antenatal depression by improving indoor air quality.

WTAP dysregulation-mediated HMGN3-m6A modification inhibited trophoblast invasion in early-onset preeclampsia.

Early-onset preeclampsia (ePE) originates from abnormal implantation and placentation that involves trophoblast invasion, but its pathophysiology is not entirely understood. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) regulators mediate the progression of various cancers. The invasiveness of trophoblast cells is similar to that of tumor cells. However, little is known regarding the potential role of m6A modification in ePE and the underlying mechanism. This study aimed to explore the m6A level in placental tissue samples collected from ePE patients and to investigate whether m6A modification was an essential part of PE pathogenesis. The m6A level in placental tissue samples of 80 PE participants was examined. MeRIP-microarray, RNA-Seq, luciferase reporter assay, and RNA immunoprecipitation chip (RIP) assay were performed. The m6A level in the ePE group was significantly reduced compared with the control group. Wilms' tumor 1-associating protein (WTAP) regulated trophoblast cell migration and invasion. Mechanistically, the high mobility group nucleosomal binding domain 3 (HMGN3) gene was a target gene of WTAP in trophoblast (p < .05). WTAP enhanced the stability of HMGN3 mRNA through binding with its 3'-UTR m6A site(+485A, +522A). HMGN3 was recognized by m6A recognition protein insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 1 (IGF2BP1), which was inhibited when knocking down WTAP. Both m6A and WTAP levels were downregulated in ePE. The m6A modification mediated by WTAP/IGF2BP1/HMGN3 axis might contribute to abnormal trophoblast invasion. Our work provided a foundation for further exploration of RNA epigenetic regulatory patterns in ePE, and indicated a new treatment strategy for ePE.

Acute and chronic maternal exposure to fine particulate matter and prelabor rupture of the fetal membranes: A nation-wide survey in China.

BACKGROUND: Prelabor rupture of the fetal membranes (PROM) is a major contributor to adverse perinatal outcomes. Some epidemiologic studies explored the association between maternal PM2.5 exposure and PROM but failed to treat the labor induction and prelabor cesarean section as censored observations. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluated whether acute and chronic maternal ambient PM2.5 exposure may increase the risk of PROM in China. METHODS: This study was based on the China Labor and Delivery Survey, a nationwide multicenter investigation. Included in the current analysis were 45,879 singleton spontaneous births in 96 hospitals in mainland China from 2015 to 2017. Outcomes were PROM, preterm PROM (<37 weeks' gestation) and term PROM (≥37 weeks' gestation). Daily concentration of PM2.5 at 1 km spatial resolution was estimated by gap-filling model. Generalized linear mixed model and mixed effects Cox model were applied to assess the associations of acute (from 0 to 4 days before delivery) and chronic (average gestational and trimester-specific) ambient PM2.5 exposure with outcomes, respectively. RESULTS: Significant associations were found between acute PM2.5 exposures (per interquartile range increase) and the risk of preterm PROM (OR = 1.11; 95 % CI: 1.03, 1.19 for PM2.5 on delivery day; OR = 1.10; 95 % CI: 1.02, 1.18 for PM2.5 1 day before delivery) but not for term PROM. An interquartile range increase in PM2.5 during the second trimester was associated with elevated risks of PROM (HR = 1.14; 95 % CI: 1.07, 1.22), preterm PROM (HR = 1.22; 95 % CI: 1.02, 1.45) and term PROM (HR = 1.13; 95 % CI: 1.06, 1.22), respectively. Women who were less educated, obese, or gave birth in a cold season appeared to be more sensitive to ambient PM2.5 exposure. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that both acute and chronic maternal exposures to ambient PM2.5 during pregnancy are risk factors for PROM.

Associations of Dietary Patterns during Pregnancy with Gestational Hypertension: The "Born in Shenyang" Cohort Study.

The literature on maternal dietary patterns and gestational hypertension (GH) risk is largely ambiguous. We investigated the associations of maternal dietary patterns with GH risk among 1092 pregnant women in a Chinese pre-birth cohort. We used both three-day food diaries (TFD) and food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) to assess the diets of pregnant women. Principal components analysis with varimax rotation was used to identify dietary patterns from the TFD and FFQ, respectively. In total, 14.5% of the participants were diagnosed with GH. Maternal adherence to a "Wheaten food−coarse cereals pattern (TFD)" was associated with a lower risk of GH (quartile 3 [Q3] vs. Q1, odds ratio [OR] = 0.53, 95%CI: 0.31, 0.90). Maternal adherence to a "Sweet food−seafood pattern (TFD)" was associated with lower systolic blood pressure (Q4 vs. Q1, ß = −2.57, 95%CI: −4.19, −0.96), and mean arterial pressure (Q4 vs. Q1, ß = −1.54, 95%CI: −2.70, −0.38). The protective associations of the "Sweet food-seafood (TFD)" and "Fish−seafood pattern (FFQ)" with the risk of GH were more pronounced among women who were overweight/obese before pregnancy (p for interaction < 0.05 for all). The findings may help to develop interventions and better identify target populations for hypertension prevention during pregnancy.

Comparison of machine learning and logistic regression as predictive models for adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes of preeclampsia: A retrospective study.

Introduction: Preeclampsia, one of the leading causes of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality, demands accurate predictive models for the lack of effective treatment. Predictive models based on machine learning algorithms demonstrate promising potential, while there is a controversial discussion about whether machine learning methods should be recommended preferably, compared to traditional statistical models. Methods: We employed both logistic regression and six machine learning methods as binary predictive models for a dataset containing 733 women diagnosed with preeclampsia. Participants were grouped by four different pregnancy outcomes. After the imputation of missing values, statistical description and comparison were conducted preliminarily to explore the characteristics of documented 73 variables. Sequentially, correlation analysis and feature selection were performed as preprocessing steps to filter contributing variables for developing models. The models were evaluated by multiple criteria. Results: We first figured out that the influential variables screened by preprocessing steps did not overlap with those determined by statistical differences. Secondly, the most accurate imputation method is K-Nearest Neighbor, and the imputation process did not affect the performance of the developed models much. Finally, the performance of models was investigated. The random forest classifier, multi-layer perceptron, and support vector machine demonstrated better discriminative power for prediction evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, while the decision tree classifier, random forest, and logistic regression yielded better calibration ability verified, as by the calibration curve. Conclusion: Machine learning algorithms can accomplish prediction modeling and demonstrate superior discrimination, while Logistic Regression can be calibrated well. Statistical analysis and machine learning are two scientific domains sharing similar themes. The predictive abilities of such developed models vary according to the characteristics of datasets, which still need larger sample sizes and more influential predictors to accumulate evidence.

Functional characterization of a catalytically promiscuous tryptophan decarboxylase from camptothecin-producing Camptotheca acuminata.

Tryptophan decarboxylases (TDCs) are a group of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-dependent enzymes involved in the enzymatic conversion of tryptophan into tryptamine, a critical biogenic amine. We herein mined and cloned a TDC-encoding gene, CaTDC3, from camptothecin-producing plant Camptotheca acuminata. The intact CaTDC3 was heterologously overexpressed in Escherichia coli and the recombinant CaTDC3 was purified to homogeneity. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-diode array detector (DAD) and high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) data analyses of the CaTDC3-catalyzed reaction mixture confirmed the catalytically decarboxylative activity of CaTDC3. CaTDC3 shows strict stereoselectivity for L-tryptophan. Homology modeling and molecular docking implied CaTDC3's recognition of L-tryptophan derivatives and analogs. Substrate scope investigations revealed that the appropriate substituent groups on the indole ring, i.e., hydroxylated and halogenated L-tryptophans, could be recognized by CaTDC3 and the decarboxylation reactions generated the corresponding tryptamines. The Cß -methyl-L-tryptophans were decarboxylated by CaTDC3 efficiently. 1-Thio-L-tryptophan, the NH group of the indole ring replaced by an S atom, could be decarboxylated by CaTDC3. CaTDC3 catalyzed the decarboxylation of 7-aza-L-tryptophan, an N displacement of the C on the aromatic ring, to afford 7-aza-tryptamine. L-Kynurenine, an L-tryptophan degradation product, could be decarboxylated by CaTDC3. The present works uncover a catalytically promiscuous TDC and the TDC is a versatile decarboxylase in synthetic biology for specialized pharmaceutically important substances.

Preterm birth update in Australasia: A report of the international symposium of Preterm Birth International Collaborative-Australasia branch.

Preterm birth (PTB) is one of the most important problems that pose dilemmas for both the obstetrician and neonatologist, placing a heavy burden psychologically and financially on the families involved, and triggering high socio-economic costs to the public healthcare. The rate of PTB in Asian countries has been ranked at top globally. To reduce the PTB rate, to promote the prevention and intervention for PTB, and to better understand the pathophysiology underlying PTB, the Preterm Birth International Collaborative Australia branch (PREBIC-AA) was launched in 2017. A series scientific activities including organizing annual research symposiums has been planned and organized among Australasian countries. Here we briefly updated the current progress in clinical management and translational research on PTB in Australasian countries that have been participated in PREBIC-AA.